The Republic of Ireland will play Israel in the Nations League today, Sunday, in the Hungarian city of Debrecen, wearing black armbands in tribute to victims of the conflict in Gaza, as calls grow in Ireland for a boycott of the match in solidarity with Palestine. David Courell, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, confirmed that the decision to play was taken by a majority vote among team members.
Gavin Bazunu withdraws as players maintain media silence
It also announced that goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu had withdrawn from the next two matches against Israel in the competition. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Courell said one of the players’ demands was to refrain from speaking to the media for the remainder of the current international break.
He added that the team planned to wear black armbands in tribute to all victims of the conflict in Gaza. The players’ actions will not be limited to the armbands, as Courell said they were planning other initiatives during the first match in Debrecen and the second meeting between the teams, scheduled for the following Sunday in Bačka Topola, Serbia, on 4 October.
The association’s chief executive said Ireland’s players would not take part in some parts of the pre-match ceremony. He added that the team planned to make a substantial financial donation from the proceeds of the matches against Israel and Austria, with the match against Austria due to take place next Thursday in Dublin.
Irish campaigns call for boycott of matches against Israel
The two matches against Israel have been controversial since the draw placed the teams in Group C of League B in the Nations League. Several initiatives and campaigns have called on Irish players to withdraw from the matches because of the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza, amid widespread sympathy for Palestinians in Ireland.
Irish midfielder Jason Knight described the players’ position as difficult after the team’s 1-0 defeat by Kosovo last Thursday. Knight added that he saw no reason for the two matches against Israel to take place. Ireland manager, Icelandic coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, had previously said: “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against it. We are playing against Israel, not with Israel.”
His comments angered the Israel Football Association, which accused the manager of stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy. The Football Association of Ireland, meanwhile, resisted calls to boycott the matches, warning that UEFA could impose severe sanctions on the team.
Ireland is co-hosting Euro 2028 with England, Wales and Scotland. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter calling on the local football association to reconsider its position and not proceed with the two matches, while Sunday’s match was set to go ahead on the basis of the team’s internal vote.
